Termination design for deep source electrode MOSFET

ABSTRACT

A power semiconductor device that includes a plurality of source trenches that extend to a depth below the gate electrodes and a termination region that includes a termination trench that is as deep as the source trenches.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority to the of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/836,639, filed on Aug. 9, 2006,entitled Termination Design for Deep Source Electrode MOSFET, to which aclaim of priority is hereby made and the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

US Patent Publication No. 2006/0033154, assigned to the assignee of thepresent application and incorporated by reference, discloses asemiconductor power device having deep source electrodes which can besuitable for a power MOSFET with up to a 300V rating and a lowerresistivity drift region. For example, a conventional 100V device mayuse 1.75 ohm-cm drift region while a device employing deep sourceelectrodes may have a 0.25 ohm-cm drift region.

Conventional MOSFET designs may use a termination structure composed ofdiffused guard rings to reduce the electric field curvature, but stillrely on the drift region to block a significant amount of voltage. If aconventional termination were used on a 100V MOSFET designed with a deepsource electrode, the termination would only support about 30V due tothe low-resistivity drift region.

Thus, a new termination that is capable of blocking a voltage equal orgreater than the active cells of a deep source electrode MOSFET isdesired. It is also desired to have a simple process to form thetermination when fabricating a deep source electrode MOSFET.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A device, e.g. a MOSFET, that includes deep source electrodes is able toblock a high reverse voltage with a low-resistivity drift region becausethe deep source electrodes create a horizontal electric field thatdepletes the drift region and enable the creation of a uniform electricfield.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the portion of thetermination closest to the last active cell is identical to the activecell (except that it does not include a source region) in order to avoiddisturbing the depletion effect.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the terminationregion of the device includes an insulated field plate spaced above thesurface of the semiconductor by an insulating material in order to avoidhigh electric field points outside the active region of the device.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thetermination region includes an EQR trench and a drain contact at the endof the termination in order to block any leakage that may occur near thesemiconductor surface, and to ensure a constant drain voltage on the topedge of the device.

A termination according to the present invention allows a device usingdeep source electrodes to be terminated using a minimum lateral width.Moreover, a termination according to the present invention mimics theactive area features, to avoid adding any process complexity.

Simulations have shown that, when using a termination according to thepresent invention, the highest electric field occurs in the regionbetween the termination and the active region, and that there are nohigh field points elsewhere in the termination, which can allow for ashort field plate. Thus, unlike conventional guard ring and field plateterminations, the field plate is not relied on to smooth out junctioncurvature in that all of the high field is contained between the lastactive cell trench and the termination trench.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description of the invention which refers tothe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a termination regionaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A-2L illustrate selected steps in a process for fabrication of adevice according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a semiconductor device according to one embodimentof the present invention is preferably a power MOSFET that includes, anactive region 56, and termination region 58, which surrounds activeregion 56. Active region 56, which in the preferred embodiment is thesame active region disclosed in US 2006/00331514, includes a pluralityof spaced deep source trenches 10 formed in a semiconductor body 12,which can be an epitaxially grown silicon body of one conductivity (e.g.N type) disposed over a silicon substrate 13 of the same conductivity.Termination region 58 includes a plurality of spaced terminationtrenches 14, and an EQR trench 16 spaced from trenches 14, whichsurround active region 56. Each trench 10 includes a thick oxide body 21disposed in the interior and lining at least the bottom and a portion ofthe sidewalls thereof. Thick oxide 21 in EQR trench 16 reaches the topsurface of body 12, while the thick oxide 21 in the termination trench14 closest to active region 56 extends to the top surface of body 12 atone sidewall thereof, and only covers the opposing sidewall closest tothe active region 56 partially, i.e. terminates below the top surface ofbody 12. Active region 56 further includes channel regions 62 of theopposite conductivity to body 12 (e.g. P type), and source regions 60 ofthe same conductivity as body 12 formed in channel regions 62. Note thatone channel region 62 extends in termination region 58 of the device anddoes not include a source region 60 therein. Active region 56 furtherincludes a plurality of insulated gate electrodes 38. Each gateelectrode 38 is insulated from a respective channel region 62 by a gateoxide body 32, which is thinner than thick oxide body 21 disposed intrenches 10. Active region 56 further includes a plurality of deepsource electrodes 24 which are insulated from, but extend through gateelectrodes 38. Deep source electrodes 24 are ohmically coupled to asource contact 64, which is also ohmically coupled to source regions 60,and to channel regions 62 through a high conductivity contact region 54of the same conductivity as channel regions 62.

According to one aspect of the present invention, termination trenches14 are as deep as source trenches 10. Furthermore, termination region 58includes a field relief electrode 26 preferably comprised ofpolysilicon, that includes a finger 27 residing in each terminationtrench 14, and a field plate portion 25 that extends away from activeregion 56 and over an insulation body 66 residing on body 12 betweentermination trenches 14 and EQR trench 16. Furthermore, an EQR electrode28, which is preferably comprised of polysilicon, is disposed inside EQRtrench 16. An EQR ring 50 is disposed over and ohmically coupled to EQRelectrode 28 and may be extended and coupled to body 12 near the edge ofthe die (to the right of electrodes 28), whereby EQR trench 16 and theelectrode contained therein serve to apply a constant drain voltage atthe edge of the termination and block any surface leakage that mayoccur.

The device further includes a gate bus 40, preferably comprised ofpolysilicon, which is insulated from and disposed over field plateportion 25 of termination electrode 26. Gate bus 40 is electricallyconnected to gate electrodes 38. A metallic gate runner 52, whichresides over bus 40 electrically couples bus 40 to a gate contact pad.The device further includes a drain contact 15, coupled to substrate 13.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, to fabricate a device according to the presentinvention, a plurality of source trenches 10, termination trenches 14,and EQR trench 16 are formed in semiconductor body 12 using any knownmethod. In one embodiment, trenches 10, 14, 16 may be 6 μm deep and 2 μmwide, and trenches 14, 16 may be spaced 1.2 μm from one another iftrenches 10, 14, 16 are to be lined with a thick poly oxide. If oxide isto be grown (e.g. using thermal oxidation) on the sidewalls and bottomof trenches, trenches 10, 14, 16 may be 1.4 μm wide and trenches 10, 14may be spaced 1.8 μm from one another.

Referring next to FIG. 2B, in the next step thick oxide is formed on atleast the sidewalls and the bottom of trenches 10, 14, 16. In a firstmethod, pad oxide may be grown on the trench sidewalls and bottoms aswell as other exposed surfaces of body 12, and then a thick (e.g. 4000Å) polysilicon layer 18 may be deposited thereon. Thereafter,polysilicon layer 18 is oxidized to obtain a thick oxide layer 20comprised of poly oxide on at least the sidewalls and the bottom oftrenches 10, 14, 16. In an alternative method, pad oxide may be removedand the exposed surfaces can be oxidized in a wet oxidation step toobtain a thick oxide layer 20 over all exposed surfaces of body 12including the sidewalls and the bottom of 10, 14, 16. FIG. 2Cillustrates the result after a thick oxide layer 20 is formed usingeither method.

Referring next to FIG. 2D, polysilicon 22 is deposited to fill at leasttrenches 10, 14, 16. Note that polysilicon 22 may cover all opensurfaces of the structure illustrated by FIG. 2C. Thereafter,polysilicon 22 is patterned using a mask and etch process to leavepolysilicon source electrodes 24 in source trenches 10, field reliefelectrode 26, and EQR electrode 28 in EQR trench 16, as illustrated byFIG. 2E. Note that in this step a portion of thick oxide 22 on allsidewalls of trenches 10 is etched back inside trenches 10, and thickoxide 22 on only one sidewall of trench 14 (the sidewall closest totrenches 10) is etched back inside the trench.

Next, the exposed surfaces of electrodes 24, 26, 28 are oxidized leavinga thin oxide layer 30 thereon. Note that in this step the exposedsurfaces of the sidewalls of trenches 10, and the sidewall of trench 14are also oxidized to form gate oxide 32 thereon. Preferably, dopants toform a channel region are then implanted to form a channel implantregion 34 before proceeding to the next step.

Referring next to FIG. 2G, polysilicon 36 is deposited and doped, andthen etched to leave polysilicon gate electrodes 38 inside trenches 10,14 adjacent gate oxide 32, and gate bus 40 as illustrated by FIG. 2H.Thereafter, in an oxidation step, the exposed surfaces of gateelectrodes 38 and gate bus 40 are oxidized leaving oxide 42 thereon. Asource mask is then applied and dopants for forming source regions areimplanted through the mask openings into channel regions to form sourceimplant regions 44. Next, a low density oxide body 46 (e.g. TEOS) isdeposited on the arrangement shown by FIG. 2J, and patterned inappropriate mask etch steps to provide openings to body 12 andelectrodes 24, 26 as illustrated by FIG. 2K. Note that in this step,source implant regions 44 are etched through to at least the channelregion below. Note further that the openings so provided allow thesource contact to make electrical contact to the source electrodes 24 ineach active cell locally. Referring to FIG. 2L, in an alternativeembodiment, electrodes 24 may make electrical contact with the sourcecontact remotely (outside each active cell).

Thereafter, source implant region 44 is driven in a source drive, highconductivity contact regions 54 are implanted followed by an anneal, andoptionally titanium is deposited and a thermal step is applied to obtaina silicide layer atop the exposed surfaces of body 12. Front metal isdeposited and patterned to obtain source contact 48, EQR ring 50, andgate runner 52, and drain contact 15 is applied using any known methodas illustrated by FIG. 1.

Note that in a device according to the present invention, channel region62 that extends into termination region 58 includes a high conductivityregion 54 to short source contact 64 the channel region. Note furtherthat termination trench 14 closest to active region 56 also contains anon-functional insulated gate electrode at a sidewall that is closest toactive region 56. The oxide thickness under field plate 25 is preferablythe same as the thick oxide inside the trenches in order to support thefull breakdown voltage between field plate 56 and semiconductor body 12under the field plate.

In an alternative embodiment, it is possible to have more than twotermination trenches, which would effectively extend the lateral widthof field plate 25.

Referring to FIG. 3, in which like numerals identify like features in adevice according to a second embodiment, termination region 58 includesonly one source trench 14, which is the same depth and width as sourcetrenches 10.

Referring to FIG. 4, in which like numerals identify like features, in adevice according to the third embodiment, termination trench 14, is thesame depth but wider than source trenches 10.

In all embodiments, preferably, EQR trench 14 is the same depth andwidth as source trenches 10.

Although the present invention has been described in relation toparticular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modificationsand other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It ispreferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by thespecific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

1. A power semiconductor device comprising: an active region, saidactive region including a plurality of source trenches extending into asemiconductor body of one conductivity, a source contact, and a sourceelectrode insulated from said semiconductor body by a thick insulationlayer disposed inside each said source and electrically connected tosaid source contact; and a termination region surrounding said activeregion, said termination region including at least one terminationtrench which extends to the same depth as said source trenches, and atermination electrode disposed at least inside said termination trench.2. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one termination trenchis as wide as said source trenches.
 3. The device of claim 1, whereinsaid at least one termination trench is wider than said source trenches.4. The device of claim 1, further comprising another termination trenchthat extends to the same depth as said source trenches, wherein saidtermination electrode is disposed inside said another terminationtrench.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein said termination electrodeincludes a field plate extending away from said active region anddisposed on a field insulation body over said semiconductor body.
 6. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein said termination region further includes anEQR trench that is the same depth as said source trenches, and an EQRelectrode insulated from said semiconductor body disposed within saidEQR trench.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein said EQR trench is thesame width as said source trenches.
 8. The device of claim 1, whereinsaid active region further includes a channel region of anotherconductivity, a first gate insulation adjacent a sidewall of one of saidsource trenches; a first gate electrode adjacent said first gateinsulation and spanning a channel region of a conductivity opposite saidsemiconductor body; a second gate insulation adjacent an opposingsidewall of said one of said source trenches; and a second gateelectrode adjacent said second gate insulation and spanning anotherchannel region of a conductivity opposite said semiconductor body,wherein a source electrode inside said one of said source trenches isadjacent but insulated from said first and second gate electrodes andextends to a depth below said gate electrodes.
 9. The device of claim 8,wherein said gate insulations are thinner than said thick insulationlayers.